This invention relates to a novel reclosable container which is inexpensive to manufacture and easy to use.
An increasing number of articles are packaged in plastic bags. In addition, rolls of plastic bags are presently sold for consumer use in packaging household items or the like. It is often desirable to have the ability to remove at least part of the bag's contents and reclose the bag thereafter. However, various disadvantages have been found with prior art reclosable bags.
For example, one type of reclosable bag is disclosed in Ruda U.S. Pat. No. 3,759,438. In the Ruda construction, a stiffener is located inside the mouth of the bag, which provides a construction that is relatively difficult to manufacture. Additionally, Ruda's construction requires heat sealing of the stiffener prior to heat sealing the sides of the bag. It would be advantageous to have the ability to heat seal the stiffener either before, after or at the time the sides of the bag are sealed.
The prior art patent to White, U.S. Pat. No. 3,889,871, discloses another type of reclosable bag in which a separate tape is required to connect the stiffener to the bag. The requirement of a separate fastening means is deleterious to optimum manufacture.
Another type of reclosable bag construction is disclosed in Hoeppner, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 2,620,842, in which a flap overlies the front wall and mouth of the bag, to provide a handle and closure means. However, the security of the Hoeppner, et al. bag is questionable because there is no tie or stiffener to provide a repeatable secure closure.
The prior art patents to Rivman, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,321,126 and Chesney U.S. Pat. No. 587,928 show other prior art reclosable containers. In the Rivman, et al. patent, an external strip is required to be fastened over a wire stiffener. This has the disadvantage mentioned above in connection with White U.S. Pat. No. 3,889,871. Chesney discloses a paper container in which a stiffener is fastened below the mouth of the bag, so that the mouth of the bag becomes rolled about with the stiffener being bent to close the roll. In the Chesney construction, an external fastening strip is needed to fasten the stiffener to the bag.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a plastic bag that overcomes many of the disadvantages of prior art plastic bags. To this end, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide a bag which is efficient to manufacture and simple in operation.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a plastic bag using a stiffener member, with the stiffener member being located above the mouth of the bag for ease in operation.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a plastic bag construction in which the bag is heat sealed to contain a stiffener, with the heat seal being accomplished either before, after or during heat sealing the sides of the bag.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a reclosable bag in which the stiffener is heat sealed to the bag using efficient production techniques.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.